PM says committed to ease life of common man with better amenities

RAHIM YAR KHAN, Oct 21 (APP): Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Friday said his government was making every effort to reduce the miseries of common man by providing them better life amenities.

“I want to ease the lives of common people by giving them
access to basic facilities in a respectable way, particularly better health services,” the Prime Minister said in his address at the launch of PM’s Health Card scheme in Punjab, here in Rahim Yar Khan.

The Prime Minister said poor people in the country had little
or no access to healthcare and in case of diseases like cancer or cardiac diseases, they were unable to afford expensive treatment.

He said the PM’s Health Card scheme would enable the patients access the public and private hospitals on panel, even for the treatment of cancer, cardiac issues including by-pass surgery and angioplasty, liver diseases such as hepatitis, pregnancy and post- natal complications, injuries and burns.

The limit of medical cover will be up to Rs 0.3 million,
however on exhaust of limit, the treatment would be completed with the financial assistance of Bait ul Maal, he said.

He mentioned that 0.39 million families had so far been registered with the Scheme in the cities including Islamabad, Quetta, Kotli, Skardu, whereas work in Lasbela and Khanewal was in progress.

A toll-free telephone number 8500 is available 24/7 for public and NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) has been tasked to facilitate over this, he added.

The Prime Minister said he always had a passion to serve the masses particularly the underprivileged segment of society and stressed that every government should realize and fulfill the similar moral and religious responsibility.

“Governments come and go, however their main objective should remain to facilitate the common man. This is what they would be accountable for in the world hereafter,” he said.

Nawaz Sharif recalled that he had set-up a kidney hospital in Swat when was in Opposition, because of the pain he felt for the people of area who had no facility of treatment of renal diseases.

The Prime Minister said he was committed to set-up 50 new hospitals across the country.

Prime Minister, Muhammed Nawaz Sharif said his government had launched several development projects, which would usher in an era of progress and prosperity.

He mentioned that a network of motorways was being expanded across the country, adding that it was only the Pakistan Muslim League-N that built a motorway in the country.

“Ask any other political party, government or dictator in the past. None of them have constructed motorways, which not only reduce distances but ends poverty,” he said.

The Prime Minister said work on Karachi-Lahore motorway was in progress and added that a motorway in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa from Hassan Abdal to Mansehra would ultimately link upto Khunjrab at Chinese border.

He said Rahim Yar Khan would benefit from the Multan-Sukkur motorway, to be completed by 2019.

He said the government had taken steps to upgrade Pakistan Railways and had also improved the services of Pakistan International Airlines, which was yielding results.

He mentioned several credits to his government including projects to overcome power loadshedding, the decisive fight against terrorism, Karachi’s improved law and order, stable
economy with stock market among the top five in the world and reduced petroleum prices.

“Since came into power, we have effectively dealt with all these challenges which were passed over to our government. Allah’s blessings are showered wherever is sincerity in hearts,” he said.

Saira Afzal Tarar said Rahim Yar Khan had been chosen for the initiation of this health programme as the Prime Minister wanted it to be launched from South Punjab.

She said the PM’s Health Card Scheme was being implemented in collaboration with provinces and transparency was the basis of this project.

Earlier, the Prime Minister gave away Health Cards to the deserving families and individuals.